Explore Italy by bike and boat

Bike and barge in Italy

1 tour

In brief

From Mantua to Venice

The only itinerary in Italy that combines easy cycling with overnight stays aboard a riverboat.

Our Ave Maria and Vita Pugna boats navigate along the waterways of the north: from the Mantova Lakes and Mincio River they glide slowly on the Fissero-Tartaro-Canalbianco-Po di Levante waterway to the Venetian Lagoon.

From April to October, these boats offer an itinerary with bike stages from Mantua to Venice (and vice versa). In the winter months, they are available to private groups for tailor-made programs.

The story

In 2007 we bought an old boat in Amsterdam, the Vita Pugna, and after an adventurous journey around Europe by river and sea, we brought it to the shipyard in Mantua. A series of “sold-out” trips began in 2008, with guests from all over the world. Also navigating with the Vita Pugna since 2011 is the Ave Maria, a 31-passenger eco-sustainable riverboat custom-built using the salvaged hull of a Po River dredge.

To discover

Art cities

Mantua, Ferrara and Venice are the best known: the boat-hotel is a perfect starting point for discovering their masterpieces of art and architecture. The itinerary also takes you to smaller towns, such as Adria, an ancient Roman port on the Adriatic (its archaeological museum is not to be missed), and Chioggia, a fishing town that is a fascinating web of alleys and canals.

Mantua Lakes and Mincio River Park

The Mincio River embraces Mantua, forming three lakes that make it look like a floating city, and gives rise to a natural area that connects the city to the southern shore of Lake Garda – you can bike through it on the famous Peschiera-Mantova bike path.

The blooming of lotus flowers is spectacular in midsummer, when Lake Superior is tinged with pink!

Po Delta and Venice Lagoon

The Po River, from the provinces of Ferrara and Rovigo, widens into a fan of waterways reaching the Adriatic Sea. Be prepared for sightings of flamingos, herons and other bird species. Arriving at the Sea, it opens to the horizon of the Venice Lagoon, interrupted only by fishing nets, briccole, salt marshes and, on clear days, the distant outline of the Dolomites.

Landscapes of the hinterland

Ave Maria’s river route traverses the Po Valley, with its wealth of production, culture and history. You’ll visit a cheese factory that produces the famous Grana Padano cheese, the unusual Bergantino Carousel Museum with carousels and amusement rides from the 1800s, and the tiny village of Zelo, which always gives a warm welcome to cyclists.

Tours

Bike and Barge weeks (1 tour)

From April to October, our barges follow our riverside bike tourists as they enjoy easy rides between nature and art cities. Choose the departure date and the barge: the itinerary may be in the direction of Venice, or end in Mantua. In either direction, the intermediate berths and scheduled visits are the same.

Assistance

Tour information
We’ll send you all the tour information before you set off on your adventure. It contains practical information, instructions on how to reach the starting point, a list of hotels, and answers to frequently asked questions. For our self-guided tours, we’ll also hand over detailed maps and roadbooks, in either physical or digital format, so you can follow the route on your own.
No need to worry about figuring out which turn to take if you opted for one of our group trips; in this case, your chaperone will gladly tell you where to go next!

 

Need help?
We plan your trip carefully to prevent any mishaps, but in case you need assistance, we’re available for support 7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Discover more

Onboard kitchen

Fresh ingredients and local recipes are prepared with care and passion in the onboard kitchen, so much so that by popular demand they entered a cookbook published in English and Italian.

Browse a preview of the cookbook

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An unexpected journey

It is a trip that everyone should do once in a lifetime: from Mantua to Venice by bike and barge. Forget crowded places and kilometer-long queues: here you sail on the water and get off the boat for easy pedaling that will take you to unusual

Read more on the blog

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